Patterson Borough, Juniata Co PA
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Patterson Borough


History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
Edited by F. Ellis and A. N. Hungerford.
Published in Philadelphia by Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886
Pages 805-808

CHAPTER XIV.
PATTERSON BOROUGH
by A. L. Guss


The railroad station in Patterson is scheduled “Mifflin,” and is directly across the river from Mifflintown. The site of the town of Patterson is part of a tract warranted to John McClellan September 8, 1755. It had been surveyed by John Armstrong, but the papers were burned in Armstrong’s house, in Carlisle, before the survey was returned to the Land-Office. Hence it was re-surveyed on December 9, 1765, and had five hundred and fifteen acres. On June 23, 1795, in consideration of buildings erected by him, and out of natural love, etc., McClellan conveyed to his son Joseph the part of this tract whereon Joseph “now dwells,” containing one hundred and fifty acres, on Juniata River, and bounded south by James Sanderson and north by Thomas Gallagher. The line ran from the river, by the street, past the warehouse, over the hill towards Licking Creek. Here Joseph McClellan lived in a house on the corner below the bridge, and kept a ferry. In 1800 he sold the tract to Captain Noah Abraham, of Path Valley, to whom, and his heirs after 1806, the land and ferry belonged many years. It was bought by William W. Wilson, and soon again sold to William H. Patterson, of Mifflintown, from whom it was purchased by John and Christopher Fallon. Previous to the time of this grant to his son Joseph, John McClellan conveyed the lower part of the tract to his son-in-law, James Sanderson, who built a house over the spring, opposite Mifflinburg. This house was washed away by the first “Pumpkin Flood” in 1810. Sanderson then rebuilt on the upper corner of his tract, across the way from McClellan’s house. He sold his tract to Benjamin Law. It was purchased by Gallagher & Parker, and in 1848 it was purchased by William B. Foster, first vice-president of the railroad company, and by him afterwards sold to William W. Wilson, except a tier of lots.

In 1849 the town was laid out by the Messrs. Fallon. The survey was made by George R. Mowry. They gave the railroad company all that part of the flat on which the shops were built, and the grounds now used as a yard. Andrew Parker, Esq., was their agent, and afterwards he became the owner of the balance of the unsold Patterson farm and lots. On the part deeded the railroad company, shops were built in 1851, and later. A force of seventy-five men were employed in repairing cars and engines. In 1869 the company removed most of the machinery of the shops to Altoona, and in 1871 the round-house was taken down, and there are now but half a dozen men here employed. The removal of the shops was a great check upon the prosperity of the town.

Before the building of the railroad there was an abrupt bluff along the bank in front of the station, which was removed, and five good double houses were built by the company.

The cars began to run as far as Lewistown September 1, 1849. For some time the freight and passengers were carried in the same train. Saml. Laird was the first agent. In 1849 he was succeeded by James North, who remained until May, 1884, when he was succeeded by his son, W. S. North. The ticket-office was moved in 1855. The “Patterson House” was built by Messrs. Fallon & Wright, and they had a contract with the company that two trains daily were to stop long enough for passengers to take meals. This was done for some years. The hotel was kept by D. H. Lusk & Brother till 1854, and by General William Bell until 1858, after which it was merely a lunch-room. The company bought the Patterson House for one thousand seven hundred dollars in order to get rid of the contract.

James North furnished poles and assisted in putting up the first telegraph line, and in 1850 an office was opened. He had never seen an instrument before the one was placed in this office but after some instructions from David Brooks, now noted in the telegraphic world, he took charge of the office. Thomas A. Scott, Assistant Secretary of War during the Rebellion, took from the line of service in the government David Strouse, of Turbett township, who learned to handle the geared lightning with North in that warehouse.

The Adams Express Company established an office in Patterson in 1857, with James North as agent. The office was moved to Mifflintown. A post-office was established in Patterson, with James North as postmaster, May 1, 1852; and he held the office five years. Since then the postmasters have been James North, F. J. Mickey, Joseph Pennell, R. E. Parker, Dr. P. C. Rundio, J. B. M. Todd, Samuel Strayer, Samuel Brown, W. W. Copeland, Howard Kirk.

Patterson was incorporated March 17, 1853. By an act of April 18, 1853, John J. Patterson, Joseph Middaugh and James North were directed to comply with the provisions of the incorporation act, and to hold an election for borough officers on the following 3d of May. Afterwards it was discovered that, the tax on the act of incorporation not having been paid, the act itself was inoperative and the organization void. On April 13, 1854, an act was passed to legalize the election and proceedings under it, as if the incorporation act had been in full effect. The first assessment was made in 1856. Prior to this year it was assessed as part of Milford township.

In November, 1884, a fire destroyed the buildings on the upper side of Main Street, from the Patterson house to the cross-street eastward, and also Todd’s corner. The fire originated in a bakery, when preparations were being made for an ox-roast over the result of the election.

The Patterson Red Star Hook-and-Ladder Company was organized April 1, 1880, with thirty-five members. It got truck, ladders, gum buckets, hooks and six Babcock fire extinguishers. It was chartered under the name of “Friendship Hook-and-Ladder Company,” June 10, 1884, and now has fifty members. They have a house, built in 1882, on which is the old Mifflintown court-house bell.

First School Board, organized May 23, 1853; Jacob Frank, president; John Yeigh, treasurer; J. W. Oberholtzer, secretary. School was kept prior to this in a frame school-house, built by Milford township, and in it the first borough school was kept by Hiram Albert, October, 1, 1853. In 1861 a brick house was built on lots bought of Jacob Silvius and John McNulty. In 1875 a brick school-house was built, with four rooms. Since the incorporation of Patterson the elections have been held in the public school-house, and here, in 1855, while teaching school, the writer cast his first vote and acted as a clerk for the election. There were one hundred and seventy-nine children attending school in 1884.

The corner-stone of the Patterson Church of the Evangelical Association was laid July 24, 1874,--dedicated December 13, 1874,--S. M. Siebert, missionary. It cost twenty-seven hundred dollars. The pastors since have been Revs. Zachariah Hornberger, G. W. Currin, G. E. Zehner, C. W. Finkbinder and E. Swengel.

Before the building of the road there were but two houses at Patterson,--an old tavern-stand on the river-bank, on the corner of Joseph McClellan’s tract, and just across the street was the house and barn of the Law place. The original road, which extended from the ferry straight across the hills, by the warehouse, to Licking Creek, was abandoned, and the roads forked, from the ferry, down and up the river, reaching the present road-beds at some distance outside of the borough. The warehouse was the first great improvement, and for a period the center of trade and travel. Here James North started a store in May, 1850. The idea was ridiculed by prominent citizens of Mifflintown, who regarded it a visionary project, saying it would indeed be a splendid place to “keep” store. It was his own individual enterprise, but the people called it “the railroad store.” His first purchase of goods was two hundred and fifty dollars. After eleven years his sales amounted to seventeen thousand dollars. The next store was opened by Messrs. Oles & Frank in 1853. The borough now has three hotels, seven dry-goods-stores, one hardware-store, one drug-store, one shoe-store, one tobacco-store, two coal and lumber-yards.

April 18, 1853, the Patterson, Johnstown, Peru Mills and Concord Plank-Road Company was incorporated by R. C. Gallagher, And. Parker, E. S. Doty, W. W. Wilson, John J. Patterson, James North, D. H. Lusk, John P. Shitz, William Miller, John S. Miller, Jacob Lemon, John Brubaker, Samuel Allen, John J. Hart, Neal McCoy, William Okeson, Joseph S. Laird, Samuel Crawford, Stewart McCulloch, William Johnson, William Elder, Daniel Skinner, Samuel Holliday, Sylvester Doyle, Oliver McCurdy, John Alexander, W. H. Patterson, Joseph Berry, George Noss, Joseph Slaymaker.

A ferry was a notable feature in early life on the river. In early days “viewers of ferries” were among the township officers appointed by the courts. Alexander Lafferty, who lived across the river, held this office as early as 1763. John McClellan kept facilities for crossing the river at this place from the time of the earliest settlements. After about 1790 it was kept by his son Joseph. On March 17, 1796, it was incorporated under the name of Harris & McClellan and said to be “on the main road leading from Sunbury to Path Valley.” In 1755 the ferry must have been at the Mifflintown fording, for the Rev. Fithian, coming down from Lyon’s (Sterrett’s), crossed directly in front of the house of John Harris, and the first road lead from this point directly across the hill to Licking Creek, just where it should have remained. It seems that after Mifflinburg started, it being then the most important place, the most of the travel desired passage lower down; so McClellan for a time kept his ferry opposite that now old town. A road-view in the fall of 1795 started “at Mifflintown, opposite John McClellan’s ferry.” A road in 1794 is said to run “from John Lyon’s, through the town of Mifflinburg, by John McClellan’s old ferry”—he having started another ferry half or quarter of a mile farther up the river than the one at Taylor’s. In 1800 it was bought, along with the farm, by Noah Abraham, who died in 1806, and the ferry was leased to Samuel Mettlen to 1815, and to James Love until 1821, and to John Robinson until it was rendered worthless by the building of the bridge, but was sub-let to John Lytle in 1828 and 1829. James Sanderson had a ferry lower down from 1811-1815 and Benjamin Law in 1816. In 1822-1824, John Love again had a ferry lower down than that of Abrahams.

One of the events at this ferry was the upsetting of the “flat” with a load of grain belonging to Jacob Kepner. The front horses swam out, but the other two were drowned and the grain was lost. Rev. Jacob Esh grasped the tail of his horse and by this means landed safely on shore.

Samuel Mettlen came to Milford in 1806, and occupied the farm at the ferry at Patterson. His children were Alexander, Samuel, Thompson, Thomas, Robert, John, Joseph and Sarah, married to William Nesbit. He had a brother William, who had a son William, and daughters Jane and Margery. John’s son, John T. Mettlen, was register and recorder a few years ago. Alexander and William were in Rogers’ company in the War of 1812-15. They were at Lake Erie in 1831, where Alexander, then twenty-three years of age, with Jacob Tool, a shoemaker of Mifflintown, performed one of the most memorable feats in our history.

Every intelligent reader is familiar with the victory won by Commodore Perry on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813. Perry’s ship was disabled and defeat seemed inevitable. All depended on Perry reaching another vessel. He did reach it, and gained a victory that has made his name immortal. Few people know, however, that this depended on a couple of young men from the ferry at Mifflintown. Had it not been for the skill of Alexander Mettlen and Jacob Tool in handling oars, and their bravery under fire, there would probably have been no Perry’s victory. Perry had called for volunteers for his fleet out of the land forces, and sixteen men responded from Caption Rogers’ company, recruited in Mifflin County. (Nearly all of the sixteen were residents of the Juniata end of it). One of these was John F. Rice, son of Peter, of Turbett, born in 1790, who died recently at Shiloh, Shelby County, Ohio. He was said to be the last survivor of Perry’s fleet. When he was eighty-six years old, having yet a clear mind and distinct recollection, he gave the following account:

“I went on board the schooner ‘Scorpion,’ under command of Capt. Christian Champlin, from Carlisle, Pa. I was in the battle of Lake Erie on board the ‘Scorpion’ . . . Commodore Perry was on the “Lawrence,’ and when it was cut to pieces and all killed but twelve men, I saw the Commodore leaving it in a row-boat, and going to the ‘Niagara.’ Jacob Tool and Alexander Metlan were called from our boat to take him over. They were called by a signal from the ‘Lawrence’—they were detailed to manage the boat. I saw Commodore Perry get down into the boat and rowed toward the ‘Niagara’ by my two comrades above named. I heard the discharge of the cannon, but did not see the ball strike his boat, but I saw him jerk off his coat, stuff it into the hole the ball make, and then fly to the oars himself, and went in safety to ‘Niagara’. The ‘Niagara’ was near by, and I could hear all that was said. Commodore Perry asked Captain Elliot whey he did not bring the ‘Niagara’ into action. Elliott said he was trying to do so, but the wind was against him. The Commodore said, ‘Captain Elliot, I am afraid the day is lost.’ Then stepped up to a Captain Brown, as he was called, for he had been in Napoleon’s army, and said: ‘Commodore, take my advice; take command of this vessel yourself, and try and break through the lines, open fire from both sides of the, and then bring up your gunboats into action and you’ll gain the victory.’ Perry did exactly as Captain Brown advised . . . The ‘Niagara’ now sailed directly through the British lines, and when pretty nearly between the ‘Queen Charlotte’ and another vessel, the ‘Niagara’ opened from both sides with fifteen guns on each side of her, doing terrible damage to both. The noise was so terrible you would think the very earth and water would open. We had several cannon on each of the gun-boats, and when we opened fire, we all commenced to fire on the fleet, and soon the British were compelled to hoist the white flag. James Simes was the first man who boarded the ‘Queen Charlotte.’ He got five hundred dollars reward.”

Mettlen and Tool were in it. Had Mettlen and Tool not been there, it is more than probable that Perry would never have written his famous dispatch, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” Simes, twenty years before this, lived in Fermanagh. Tool disappears from the tax-lists after 1816. Poor Mettlen, after all his bravery, was destined never agin to see his Juniata home. After the victory, in which he played so important a part, he had an altercation with a man on board the vessel, who pushed him overboard, and he was drowned in Lake Erie.

Medals commemorative of the victory on Lake Erie were struck by the United States Mint by order of the State of Pennsylvania, for presentation to such of her citizens as had volunteered to serve on board of the American squadron on that occasion. The father of Alexander Mettlen got one. It was two and a fourth inches in diameter. On the obverse it had a profile of Perry, and the words “Oliverus Hazard Perry. Pro patria vincit. Presented by the Government of Pennsylvania.” On the reverse there is the device, “To . . . .” (a blank being left in which the name “Alexander Mettlen” was engraved), inclosed in a wreath of laurel. Above it is the legend, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.—Perry.” The inscription is, “In testimony of the patriotism and bravery in the naval action on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813.”











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